Japanese Magazines (and a new scanner, yay)

[kitsunebi]

Hoookay...

After spending hours. and hours. and hours - scanning and editing a reprint of Famicom Tsushin using a combo of my flatbed scanner and Photoshop, I realized there was no way in hell I could continue like that. The stack of magazines begging to be scanned began to look like a multiple-life-term prison sentence.

I just got a ScanSnap ix500 and HOLY CRAP. A 600dpi scan that took 3 minutes to scan one side on my flatbed took 3 seconds to scan both sides at once. And the file came out beautifully. No editing even required (I was testing it on a new mag in great condition). If I load up the ADF, there's no telling how quickly I could scan a mag when I have the time. I'm usually pretty busy (especially this time of year, as I have to put in some mad crazy overtime getting certain things done before the kiddies graduate mid-March). So I'm not saying I'm GOING to pump these things out regularly, but for the first time, it feels like I have a Mission: Possible in front of me.

Of course, nothing that I have to scan at the moment is in the database. Here's what I have, and what I plan to get to eventually. I'm not going to pretend to understand the complexities of building a database for weekly/biweekly titles, but IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME. (well...eventually...)

Famicom Tsushin 001 (June 20, 1986) - this is already ready for release. It's actually a reprint, but aside from being a smaller size and having a gray border on each page that sometimes has commentary on the contents of the page, the magazine contents are the same as the original, including the ads.

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 158 (Dec.27, 1991)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 163 (Jan.31, 1992)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 164 (Feb. 7, 1992)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 168 (March 6, 1992)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 169 (March 13, 1992)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 170 (March 20, 1992)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 174 (April 17, 1992)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 175 (April 24, 1992)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 184 (June 26, 1992)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 221 (March 12,1993)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 222 (March 19,1993)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 223 (March 26, 1993)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 228 (April 30, 1993)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 236 (June 25, 1993)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 238 (July 9, 1993)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 240 (July 23, 1993)

Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin 241 (July 30, 1993)

Shūkan Famitsū 504-523 (Aug 14 1998 - Dec. 25 1998)

Shūkan Famitsū 650-676, 678-680 (June 1, 2001 - Dec.28 2001)

(also 44 issues of Famitsu from 2013-2015 for which covers could be provided)

Family Computer Magazine 1990 no.13 (July 6, 1990)

Family Computer Magazine 1991 no.10 (May 24, 1991)

Family Computer Magazine 1995 no.15 (July 28, 1995)

Family Computer Magazine 1996 no.03 (Feb 09, 1996)

Dengeki Dreamcast 001 (Dec.11 1998)

Dengeki Playstation 048 (July 11, 1997) (includes a PS1-bootable demo disc)

Dengeki Playstation 064 (Jan 16, 1998) (includes a special game strategy supplement magazine)

[Sean697]

You what could help with the database is if you researched the issues of the magazines and pointed to a reliable database or reference we could use. Or post it here. Having someone who can read Japanese would greatly speed up the effort if your really want a database made here.

[kitsunebi]

To be honest, I think a complete database of a given title is a bad idea. Almost all Japanese gaming mags are either weekly or bi-weekly, so there are usually quite a few issues of any title that's been around for a few years. Famitsu is over 1400 issues at this point, and I've got less than 100. At 24 issues per database page, that still leaves 54 pages of gray "not available" placeholders to cycle through if every issue is given a listing.

For a listing this huge, I personally think the database would look better if it only listed the issues that at the very least had a cover scan.

As for a site featuring a complete list of publication dates for Japanese magazines, sorry, but I don't know of any (and I have looked.) The only one I could give info for is the first 48 issues of Dengeki Playstation, since the demo disc that came with issue 48 has a database of covers and basic info on all previous issues.

[marktrade]

Because Famitsu went through so many changes, including name changes, there's no reason we'd have to put all the issues in one section. Just like we have one section for Next Generation and another for NextGen, we can have one for Weekly Famicom News and another for Weekly Famitsu and still another for Famicom News.

Weekly Famicom News was weekly so it's a simple matter of knowing the first issue date and last issue date. Is Japanese Wikipedia so unreliable that we can't just use those dates?

[kitsunebi]

Weekly Famicom News was weekly so it's a simple matter of knowing the first issue date and last issue date. Is Japanese Wikipedia so unreliable that we can't just use those dates?

I agree that we could probably figure the dates out without too much trouble (I suppose accounting for leap years being the biggest obstacle). It still doesn't solve the problem of having pages upon pages of empty gray boxes for all the missing issues, but I guess it that's the preferred format...

Ironically, one of the only databases of any kind I've seen for Japanese mag release dates is a site run by a Retromags member, covell. He only lists issues he owns, but he's got a lot more than I do, so his list would be useful for making sure calculations don't go astray when figuring out dates. And if you're reading this, Chris, you've obviously been collecting Japanese mags for longer than I have, so maybe you're aware of some other online resources?

http://www.chrismcovell.com/secret/jp_mags/index.html

[marktrade]

I agree that we could probably figure the dates out without too much trouble (I suppose accounting for leap years being the biggest obstacle). It still doesn't solve the problem of having pages upon pages of empty gray boxes for all the missing issues, but I guess it that's the preferred format...

Computer Gaming World has many such pages, at 268 issues. The way to solve that is to upload covers.

Remember that it will not look that way in the download section or the cover gallery, which will only show content uploaded. When you go to the gallery you just see images uploaded, not empty spaces. When you go to the download section all you see are uploaded issues, not missing issues. The purpose of the database is to show missing information.

[kitsunebi]

Remember that it will not look that way in the download section or the cover gallery, which will only show content uploaded.

...

OK, I know this sounds insane, but I never realized that. I think it's because I pretty much downloaded all the content I wanted from this site a long time ago before the download section existed/worked, when the only way to find downloadable issues was to comb through the database. Ever since then, I've just kept up with the new releases, and never really noticed that the download section was functioning.

OK. I guess I was worried about nothing. And, uh...ooops.

[edit] although now that I look at it, I noticed right away that PC Gamer (USA) is missing from the download section despite having issues available, so I guess it's still being worked on.

[Areala]

It's far from perfect (and finished), but you've got to hand it to Phillyman, he's REALLY improved the site over the last year or two. I love watching it evolve and take shape with his intended concept.

*huggles*
Areala

[kitsunebi]

I'm putting together a list of Famitsu issues with cover dates. I've got it completed up to 1993. While at first it doesn't seem too difficult to figure out issue numbers once it becomes a weekly publication (just add 7 days), the problem is that there are a number of "double" issues published each year. These are single issues with two different cover dates and issue numbers.

For example, a single issue might be labeled as "no.192/193, August 21/28" issue. So knowing the current issue number/date and working backwards just by doing the math won't actually tell you how many physical issues were published. As such, it becomes necessary to confirm the actual existence of each individual issue. You can't assume that just because issue 191 and 194 exist, then surely issues 192 and 193 also exist, because (as is the case in this instance) issues 192 and 193 may indeed be a single issue.

As if being over 1400 issues didn't already make putting this together enough of a headache...

[marktrade]

I have some issues like that in the late 90s as well but they don't alter the mathematics of the numbering and the number of weeks passing by. Issue 555 is still exactly one hundred weeks after issue 455 even though there are some "double" issues in between.

I suppose we can handle this by duplicating info in the database for those issues? As long as the issue is labelled properly then the same cover and info can be used for both issues on the label.

[kitsunebi]

I have some issues like that in the late 90s as well but they don't alter the mathematics of the numbering and the number of weeks passing by. Issue 555 is still exactly one hundred weeks after issue 455 even though there are some "double" issues in between.

Right, that's what I was saying - the dates work out fine, since the double issues are given a 2-week cover date, but unless you know which are double issues, you won't know how many individual slots to put in the database (unless as you suggest, we just list the same issue twice.)

It was a little trickier before it went weekly. For one thing, individual issue numbers didn't exist until #136. Before that, each year got its own numbering system (i.e. the 10th issue published every year was labeled as issue 10). On top of that, it didn't completely stick to a biweekly status 100% of the time, and during the pre-#136 period, there are 5 "extra number" issues which were published that were simply labeled vol. 1-5, each of which were published on the same day as a regular bi-weekly issue, but were counted in the total number of issues that ultimately resulted in issue #136. I have no idea what order to insert the "extra number issues" since they have the same cover date as other issues. Nor am I sure if any "extra number" issues were published after the change to weekly, but I haven't run across any yet.

[Areala]

It was a little trickier before it went weekly. For one thing, individual issue numbers didn't exist until #136. Before that, each year got its own numbering system (i.e. the 10th issue published every year was labeled as issue 10). On top of that, it didn't completely stick to a biweekly status 100% of the time, and during the pre-#136 period, there are 5 "extra number" issues which were published that were simply labeled vol. 1-5, each of which were published on the same day as a regular bi-weekly issue, but were counted in the total number of issues that ultimately resulted in issue #136.

What in the weak-kneed, limp-wristed, sopping wet, fart-blasted scrotum is wrong with you, Japan...? Nani kore?!

*huggles*

Areala